


her champion

by frozen in time (princess_zel)



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Because of course he is, Gen, He's Still Arrogant Though, Revali Is Only Soft For Zelda, Spoilers for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Zelda Goes Through Too Much, slightly shippy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:56:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29684316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princess_zel/pseuds/frozen%20in%20time
Summary: Zelda reaches a breaking point after Link draws the Master Sword from its resting place in Korok Forest. Comfort through her discouragement comes from someone unexpected.
Relationships: Revali & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Revali/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Kudos: 18





	her champion

**Author's Note:**

> this is marked as gen because, while initially written to be shippy, it's ended up being a little less so. it's also based off a mission/cutscene sequence from hwaoc (the first korok forest mission)
> 
> that being said, i've been a Zelinker for many years now (i've written hundreds of thousands of words for them, lol), but since the release of botw, Zelvali has always lived somewhere at the back of my mind
> 
> with the release of hwaoc, though.... i've been further convinced. (and so i enter rarepair hell)

He is both her appointed knight and her worst enemy. The blade of evil’s bane, the sword that seals the darkness, glints in the air as Link turns it over in his hands, and Zelda can’t help the way envy crawls into the pit of her stomach at the sight. 

The Great Deku Tree, briefly awoken in order to address the new wielder of the Master Sword, returns to his slumber with a groan, and Zelda doesn’t spare a moment, stalking off into the forest, leaving her knight and his Din-forsaken sword behind.

She pays little heed to the fog swirling around her, green eyes glued to the screen of her Sheikah Slate as she recalibrates it with startling efficiency. Ignoring the howl of the wind as it rushes around her, she feels free to wallow in her misery and anger. No sound of footsteps echo behind her or crunch through the forest, and she’s finally, blessedly alone.

It isn’t _fair._ Not really. Not ever.

She’s worked and toiled her whole life for every bit of progress she’s made in accessing her sealing powers and in researching the Sheikah relics, yet this boy with a sword, her so-called _knight,_ has the skill of a seasoned warrior with little more effort than being located in the right place at the right time.

It’s infuriating.

She huffs heavily, tucking away a stubborn strand of hair as it slips loose from behind her ear. Shivering lightly, she wishes she’d worn more than her training tunic to execute this mission. Gripping at the frayed edges of the blue fabric, she returns the Slate to the holster at her side, wrapping her arms around her slim form instead.

“Princess.”

She nearly jumps at the sound. “Revali. You startled me.”

With a pompous smirk, Revali drifts down to stand beside her, carried in on a gust of wind. “The others are worried for you.” He preens. “But I, for one, am not.” His green eyes turn appraising. “I have full confidence in you,” he pauses, “and myself.”

For some reason, the frivolous comment sets Zelda more at ease, and her lips tilt upward slightly. From anyone else, such a remark would be an insult; but, from Revali, it’s worth more than diamonds. “I suppose so,” she agrees quietly, unable to stop thinking of her knight and his recent triumph in the name of both destiny and duty.

A gentle wing sweeps through the air, lightly wrapping around her shoulders, surprising her once more. “I don’t have much confidence in anything outside of myself… And I especially don’t have any in that knight of yours,” he adds with a scoff. “But I do believe in _you,_ Princess.”

Her eyes hold sorrow as she leans into the Rito’s rare offered embrace. “Revali, I will always do all I can… But… I… He does it so much better than I do while making it all seem effortless.”

“Princess, as you are well aware, I am the pride of the Rito, amd no one else has dared to achieve such a mastery of the sky,” Revali begins loftily, extending his free wing outward with a flourish. This sort of boastfulness is normal. The way he softens a few moments later, however, isn’t. “Believe me, I know determination and drive when I see it. You are more than capable of matching that incompetent knight in fulfilling your destiny. You simply lack _confidence_.”

Their eyes lock for an instant, and Zelda’s lips part lightly at the Rito’s sudden intensity. Suddenly all too aware of his proximity with his wing secured around her shoulders, she blushes. Her gaze drops. “I see… And so I must grow even stronger still.”

A gentle but assertive touch on her chin causes her to look slightly upward. Revali’s feathers brush against her skin as he nods his head. “And you will. Not only is there strength that lies within you, but there’s strength within me too. I am, above all else, your Champion.” If anyone else had been with them at this very moment, she can only imagine what he might have said to her instead of the rare words of encouragement and reassurance he gave her. “The best of the bunch, naturally.”

“Are you?” Zelda finds herself asking uncertainly, hesitant fingers reaching out to run along the hem of the blue scarf the Rito has slung around his neck. Eerie laughter echoes around them in this strange forest, but the company she keeps whilst in it brings her a cozy sense of warmth all the same.

At her query, Revali merely cocks his head to one side, awaiting clarification.

She fights back another blush, willing the right words to come. This shouldn’t be so difficult for her. She’s a pragmatist, one who always knows exactly what to say and when. Still, she struggles to express herself properly, “Are you, above all else, my Champion?” As soon as she asks the question, she wishes she could take it back, expecting a haughty snub or an arrogant rebuff in reply.

Instead, Revali remains curiously silent, his wing tightening around her shoulders. “I would die in your service, Princess,” he admits carefully. “I admire you; your dedication to your people can only rival my own. You are my only true equal, and I answer only to you.”

There’s movement in the brush close by, and Revali quickly glides away, relinquishing his hold on her and readying his bow. 

Zelda reaches for her Slate, ignoring the way her heart stutters in her chest at his immediate willingness to protect her. “Thank you for… believing in me, Revali.”

His sharp green eyes track the rustling as his head jerks upward in a cocky nod. “You may not be too sure of yourself just yet, Princess, but I can assure you that I have more than enough confidence for the both of us.”

They ready their stances, wary of the vicious stakoblins and stalmoblins that have been roaming through the woods all night.

“Princess?” a new voice cuts through the air. “Princess?” Impa.

As Impa, Link, and the rest of the Champions burst through the trees, fog swirling around them, Zelda catches Revali’s gaze once more as her lips tilt upward and their weapons lower. 

They’re safe.

For all his arrogance and bluster, Revali has brought a smile to her face despite all the disappointment she faces at her own failures. He’s right, of course. He harbors enough confidence for the both of them, and knowing that he is _her_ Champion comforts her anxious heart.

As Urbosa and Impa lead her away with curious looks in their eyes, Zelda’s smile doesn’t slip from her features, Link bringing up the rear with Mipha and Daruk. Sunlight filters through the thick foliage of the Lost Woods as their journey back home begins, her fingers curling lightly around the tip of Revali’s wing.

**Author's Note:**

> it's been a while since i've written loz fic so hopefully they both felt in character. Zelvali is so underrated kjdhkjfh. the tag is practically nonexistent on Tumblr, and it's honestly quite devastating
> 
> i'll likely be writing more oneshots (maybe a longfic?) with them over the next few months because they're precious and i hate seeing the Zelvali (Revazel?) tag so empty jkhfgjfg
> 
> Elsie


End file.
